Our Ties Are Timeless
by I'mAFreeElf
Summary: It will make you laugh, it will make you cry. An in-depth life story of Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, one of the best witches.


I always knew Sirius wasn't guilty of betraying James and Lily, or being a Death Eater. It was all a set up-from who I didn't know but it was always a set up from the beginning. Sirius would never turn over to You-Know-Who's side. He was too strong for that. He would die before he ever switched sides. He would die before he betrayed James and Lily. His arrest all over the papers was a shock to my family, but I remembered him for the man he was despite the Prophet's claims that he was a murderous, madman. I relied on my memories.

My last memory of him before he was arrested was when I turned eight in October. Naturally, I was excited by the fact that I only had three more years until I was to leave for Hogwarts, but there were no other bright lights in my life. The First Wizarding War was still in full swing by then, and naturally my mother wanted a quiet birthday tea-no one was safe anymore. The only family we had left (or family we talked to I should say), was Sirius.

He was more of my big brother than a cousin and I was more than excited to spend my birthday with him. I waited by the window that day, staring out into the entrance through the garden. My mother was already outside with my father, setting up for my birthday tea. I could smell the chocolate cake and pork roast, my favorite. It was a perfect day, cool weather with a slight breeze. In fact, it was rather warm for October oddly enough.

As soon as I saw him walking into the garden through the gate, I ran outside. My mother called after me because my dress was flying up in the wind, but I didn't care. Sirius, laughing, caught me in his arms, absolutely burying me. As I buried my face in his shoulder, I noticed a man standing behind him.

He was older looking, with lines of tiredness lining his face. Streaks of gray hair painted his thin, brown hair. A scar was under his left eye, his eyes a soft brown. And he was rather thin, thin compared to most of the men I have met. His robes were shaggy and beat.

"Happy Birthday Dora," Sirius muttered into my ear, setting me down on the ground. I suppose he noticed me staring at the man behind him, and he introduced me.

"Right, this is Remus Dora. Dora, Remus. I thought you wouldn't mind if I brought a friend along for the party," Sirius said, beaming at me. I shook my head, not minding at all.

"Nice to meet you Dora. Sirius has told me so much about you. And Happy Birthday," he says, awkwardly shaking my hand; I giggle, but shake it all the same.

My mother walked over, her face lighting up when she saw Remus. She greeted him warmly, obviously having met him before, but I haven't. Sirius shrugged at me, ruffling my hair.

He scooped me up in his arms. And that's when I realized how much older Sirius appeared. Bags lined his eyes, and his long brown, curly hair was rather messier than usual. He smelled slight of Firewhiskey and smoke, as though he was spending nights in the bar. Perhaps he was.

No doubt life was taking a toll on him, fighting and preventing Voldemort from carrying out his plans. I started to worry, asking him if he was okay.

"Of course I am Dora. It's hard being an adult. You're lucky you haven't started school yet," he said, bringing me to the table greeting my father along with Remus. Tea passed pleasantly enough, with Sirius being as funny as usual. At one pointed I showed Sirius my new Metamorphic ability-turning my face into that of a pig. He roared with laughter, telling me he was the smart little witch he has ever known.

Remus seemed nice enough, rather quiet though not saying much. He only talked when my parents asked him questions directly, but from the way my parents greeted him, he must know them.

Remus handed me my birthday present. My mother told him he shouldn't have, but he insisted. I opened it to find the Timeless Tie. It was the scrunchie that never broke and never lost. If it fell, it would magically come back to your wrist.

It was nice enough I suppose even though I was more of a tomboy.

But all the same, I gave Remus a hug saying, "Thank you. I love it."

"Of course," he murmured.

It was then that Remus had to leave, as soon as we were done with tea. He muttered something about doing Order business to my parents. Once again, he wished me a Happy Birthday, and left with thanking my parents for their hospitality.

I stared after Remus's retreating back, very interested in him indeed. He was a odd man, but truly nice. Sirius didn't comment on what the business of the Order was, only that he had business with the Order in a few hours. Naturally, we weren't allowed to know what business, especially not me, a fourteen year old girl.

Then Sirius handed me my birthday present. It was a new broom, a Comet 260. It was the newest, latest broom, and naturally I was excited. Having my own broom was better than using the old school brooms. Sirius beamed at me, knowing I was more than pleased with my new present. Maybe that year, I would make my House team.

My mother seemed a little worried that he spent so much money on my birthday present, but Sirius told her it was no problem. Before I could utter a thank you, he told me to fly on it before it turned dark. Of course I went to the field behind our house, immediately rising into the air.

It was the fastest broom I have ever ridden on, turning at the slightest move of my body. It was wonderful, and I felt free just like the birds in the summer sky. My parents and Sirius were dots from up in the air, but nonetheless I knew they were smiling.

As soon as it turned dark, my mother called me down. And when I walked over to the table, my father and Sirius stopped talking, abruptly. The only thing I heard was the name of a family, the McKinnons. No doubt it was about the war.

Sirius checked his old wristwatch, telling me that he must leave as well for Order business. But before he left, he took me by the old bench under the tree sitting me on his lap. Fireflies buzzed around us, giving an eerie glow.

"Dora, I want you to know something. The world is changing around us, but always stick to what your parents have told you. Everyone is the same, whether their half-blood or Muggleborn. Dora, they're just like us," he said quietly. "The Death Eaters are horrible people who don't understand the feelings people have, and that one day they're all going to pay for what they've done." I nodded, having heard most of this from my mother before.

"Sirius, why are they so evil," I asked. I had heard about the things the Death Eaters were doing from my parents-torturing Muggles, targeting non-purebloods, and trying to bring You-Know-Who to power. Most of it was in the Daily Prophet everyday, and I read it all, determined not to be naïve, despite my young age. Growing up with my parents, I never understood at that age how the Death Eaters could be so murderous, so evil, and I looked to Sirius for the difficult answer. He gazed at me thoughtfully for a moment.

"This is important Dora. This world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We all hav both light and dark inside of us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. And I know you'll always be the light in this world Dora," Sirius muttered. And that's the day I finally understood what seperated the Death Eater and You-Know-Who from the rest of us-our choices. And Sirius was right, I chose from that day forward to be the light in a dark world.

"I'm going to make you proud Sirius," I muttered, and he smiled at me, kissing me on the head.

"I know you will Dora. You're smart and you can do anything you put your mind to," he muttered. Finally, he said he had to go, or he was going to be late. He led me to my parents, saying goodbye to them. My mother stared at him worriedly, her brown eyes never leaving his face. His goodbye to my parents was rather quick, but he held onto me for a long time.

For that reason, I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. And it did.

Two days later, on Halloween, James and Lily Potter were attacked at their house in Godrics Hollow, by none other than You-Know-Who. They didn't stand a chance against the evil wizard, and died. Oddly enough, their son Harry, not even a year old, was able to kill You-Know-Who.

My parents, however, didn't want to celebrate. They claimed, as did Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort would one day returned. The young Harry Potter merely damaged You-Know-Who, and didn't kill him according to my parents.

I didn't expect Sirius to come, as he was best friends with James and Lily. No doubt he and Remus would be watching over Harry, since his parents were dead. But instead, my parents found out from Dumbledore that Harry Potter was sent to live with his aunt and uncle, Muggles.

Sirius was nowhere to be found that night. When my parents tried to contact him that same night on Halloween, he wouldn't answer.

The next day, in the Prophet, it claimed Sirius was arrested. According to the Prophet, Sirius turned mad and attacked his best friend Peter Pettigrew, (also the best friend of James and Lily Potter) in the middle of a Muggle street. Peter was screaming that Sirius betrayed his best friends to You-Know-Who, and was none other than a Death Eater. Then, with one spell, Sirius blew up the street, killing thirteen Muggle and Peter Pettigrew. All the while, he stood there laughing until the Ministry arrested him. The only thing they found left of Peter Pettigrew was his finger.

Sirius was the Potter's Secret-Keeper, the only person who knew where they were. The Prophet claimed Sirius betrayed them, allowing Voldemort to find and kill them.

My parents didn't say much on Sirius's arrest. I told my mother I didn't believe the Prophet at all, knowing Sirius would never be that man. But my mother shook her head, telling me all the evidence pointed to him. For some reason, I screamed at her, telling her she was stupid and didn't know anything. She started to cry, for my insult or for Sirius, I don't know.

Naturally, my father was upset with me and sent me up to my room, where I thought about Sirius. I knew in my heart as I paced my bedroom floor that Sirius wasn't guilt, whether people believed him or not.

Without a trial, Sirius was sentenced to life in Azkaban. I wasn't able to say goodbye. My mother forbade me from visiting him in Azkaban when I asked her about it, as did my father. The only thing I wanted to hear from him was that he was innocent, and I would have been happy.

Days later, Sirius's arrest blew over. Everyone was mourning the loss of James and Lily Potter while celebrating the "death" of Lord Voldemort. My parent only mourned the loss of the Potter's with lit candles.

Over the next three years, the new world rid of Voldemort and the Death Eaters (who fled after their master's downfall) took the toll on our world. People weren't scared to walk out of their houses anymore, to have social lives without the fear of being attacked by the Death Eaters. It was as if the world was reborn again, reborn from the ashes of grief and pain Voldemort had inflicted on our world.

But as my parents said and Dumbledore, Voldemort would rise again. And I would be on the front lines, being the light of the world.


End file.
